True Hearts
by Lordi The Ultimate
Summary: The threat of rebellion within the Organization looms so Xemnas implements a new mandatory partnership system and of course not everyone is not happy about it. Especially not number III and IX.
1. Hostile Beginnings

The sun was close to set in Twilight Town, orange beams of light hit the many buildings, giving off a cozy feeling. Demyx glanced up at the clock tower as he remembered Axel's tales about sitting on top of the tower with Roxas and Xion. He wondered about what the view would look like. He wondered if anyone would hear him if he played his sitar from up there.

"What a drag. Can't wait to go home." Demyx groaned, after making sure that a certain someone did not hear him. The blonde looked over the railing and absorbed the last warming beams of sunlight as he crouched. Currently, that had been the only highlight of this mission. Demyx hated the fact that Xemnas has completely revamped the structure of the Organization to prevent any upcoming rebellion and has paired every member together; the high ranking members with those of the lower rank. Consequently, Demyx, a person who enjoyed as much free-time as possible, was paired with the most overworking and gruffest person of the Organization and the person, he least wanted to be around next to Larxene.

"The mission is not over. Don't slack off." Xaldin approached the blonde with his lances floating around him. A gentle wind played with his black dreadlocks as his violet eyes pierced through Demyx's soul. The blonde shrugged as he stood up. How he wished, he could return home and be done for the day. But as cruel reality would have it, Demyx was stuck here with a person, that disdained him greatly.

In complete silence, the pair walked towards the train station in pursuit of Heartleses. It was a little lonely, having to work with someone who only spoke if needed. Demyx remembered the first, mission they had together where he made a fool out of himself by being friendly and casual only for Xaldin to glare at him and tell him to stop 'joking around'. It was an awkwardly awful situation to say the least. After deeper afterthought, Demyx found it odd of himself to even try such a stunt. Perhaps, it was just to close the distance between them and make life for himself easier. Needless to say, it had no effect. Ever since Demyx had been dragged on to several missions as Xaldin never seemed to take a break and their relationship was merely at a professionally tense level.

Demyx looked at the broad-shouldered individual before and all of his lances floating around him. It was amazing that none of them accidently speared him. The blonde shrugged a bit; he debated with him if he should try to make contact again.

"So, uh… what else do we need?"

Xaldin suddenly stopped at those words, silent like always. He refrained from facing Demyx.

"Look in front of you." Was his only response and Demyx found it ironic that he had had been told that and the only thing he could see was Xaldin's broad shoulders. But something black suddenly emerged from in front of the two Nobodies and Demyx concluded that a Heartless appeared before them. The blonde scoffed, preparing his sitar as he with wary eyes watched Xaldin's lances float about.

The heartless was quite massive in size, standing several feet over them. However, that did not stop Xaldin from attacking head on. Demyx was more withdrawn summoning several water pillars to keep the Heartless locked in one place and securing Xaldin a perfect hit.

Often their missions together had turned out like this. If there was no recon, there would be a Heartless waiting for them and Xaldin would always be on the offensive end of the two whereas Demyx would support from a distance. Without much effort from the blonde Nobody, Xaldin successfully impaled the gargantuan Heartless with his lances. It stood still for a brief moment only to fall to the ground, creating a slight shockwave upon impact. Its body soon dissolved into darkness.

"…That was easy." Demyx caught himself saying in awe. But it was. And for the blonde Nobody, that was a saving grace as Xaldin's efficiency always managed to bring targets down at a fast rate. He looked at the broad-shouldered Nobody landing on the ground with the aid of the wind.

"A matter of competence." He simply said as his six lances floated around to take a less dangerous position around him. His voice was cold or at the very least indifferent. It sent shivers down Demyx's spine and he debated with himself whether or not he should keep his mouth shut for the rest of this mission.

"Su-sure." He decided against his better judgment, yet it had no effect on Xaldin, who without another word turned away and opened a portal back to The World That Never Was.

"Mission complete." He simply said before entering the portal.

"How was the field trip, kids?" Xigbar greeted the pair upon their return with a friendly wave. He flashed a smirk that made Demyx grateful for being home. He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling at the one-eyed Nobody.

"Hehe. Fine, I guess." He wasn't really certain. And he didn't care either. From the corner of his eye, he saw Xaldin leaving without a single response. The black-haired Nobody headed straight for Saïx to relay today's report, only to disappear shortly after, leaving a relieved Demyx behind, who felt he could breathe again.

"What's his problem?" Xigbar raised an eyebrow.

"It's a double-edged sword to work with him. I mean, it's quick and all but he's so… unpleasant." Demyx shrugged his shoulders, sighing. How he wished he could be paired up with Xigbar instead. "I've tried to be friendly and all but I don't think he likes me."

"He doesn't like anyone." Xigbar said as a matter of fact, something Demyx could not agree with more. To be honest, he wholeheartedly believed that Xaldin was just as displeased with working with him. That was, of course, an understatement.

The blonde Nobody soon parted ways with Xigbar and decided to have his mind wander a bit to get away from the topic of Xaldin. In his room, he brought his sitar to his lap and began playing some random tunes to keep himself from thinking more of today's mission. After some trials and errors, he managed to compose a coherent song. As he replayed the tune over and over, he struggled to find a fitting title. Ironically, it resembled his current situation; bleak in its resonance but powerful enough to awake emotions to whoever heard it. Personally, Demyx did not enjoy the melody but it was the best, he could come up with as of now. So this had to do.

Perhaps, it would keep Xaldin from kicking his door down and tearing him apart.


	2. A New Threat

That Demyx was an insufferable pain to work with. Lazy and incompetent were just a few words to describe his pitiful existence. Xaldin despised every moment spent with him and cursed Xenmas for coming up with the mandatory partnerships. Back in the Castle That Never Was, Xaldin and Demyx were quick to part ways. It had always been like that and it should continue that way. Xaldin cared next to nothing about comradeship and he was convinced that his progress was slowed down by Demyx.

He headed directly to his room, ignoring the other Nobodies that passed him on his way. Apart from Saïx and Xenmas, he could care less about the lot of them. He had no intention of a rebellion or whatever it was so why did he have to be linked with a waste of space such as Demyx was beyond him.

As Xaldin shut the door, he heard a frustratingly familiar sound coming from further down the hallway. The sound of off-key strings evolving to a melody. The melody was one of the less-aggravating that he had heard the Nobody play but still it was distracting like always. Xaldin found himself in less than a stellar mood so he did not refrain from telling Demyx to remain quiet. The broad-shouldered Nobody opened the door with the number "IX" engraved into it. He did not bother to knock because he simply did not care for it. As expected, Demyx sat in the middle of the floor with his sitar, his expression souring with the sight of Xaldin.

"I wasn't being that loud." He whispered, scrambling with his instrument.

"I don't need your excuses; I need you to be quiet."

"Give me a break already!" Demyx whined. It seems that it was the only thing, he was good at; not much else. How he had survived this far was a mystery to Xaldin.

"Stop your wailing. When was the last time you felt anything?"

"Geez, man! The world would like you a whole lot better if you started saying some nice things." Demyx pouted and climbed his way to the bed.

"What for? We are all empty husks. It's not like the world care for us or vice versa." Xaldin rested against the doorframe. "What is the point of pretending to have feelings?" he caught himself sounding grimmer than usual.

Demyx did not respond but instead shot Xaldin a displeased stare before he curled up in a ball and pouted like a child. It pleased the older Nobody to see him silent and still for once, instead of poignant attempts at comradeship. Xaldin and Demyx were not comrades. They were two unfortunate souls bound together by one individual's paranoia. The broad-shouldered Nobody didn't wait much longer for an answer as he turned around and left the room, aware of Demyx's green eyes burn him in the back. Things should be kept at a professional level; nothing less, nothing more.

The very next day, it was time for another mission. Saïx stood near the many windows as Xaldin entered the Grey Area. Among the Nobodies present were Xigbar, Axel and Luxord. And of course, Demyx. The blonde sat in one of the couches, next to Xigbar. The Arpeggio was firmly placed in his lap but for once, no tunes came from it. Demyx kept his head down as Xaldin passed him; no words being uttered between them.

"Xaldin," Saïx greeted with a slight nod before he turned to one of the couches and raised his voice. "and Demyx." The younger Nobody shook as his name was mentioned. With heavy yet hasty movements, he smiled awkwardly towards Luxord and headed to the two higher ranking members. "I have your mission ready. A new Heartless has been discovered in the Sunset Terrace. Gather intel, destroy it and collect its heart." A portal appeared behind Saïx as he stepped aside. With steady steps, Xaldin walked into the portal, followed by a wary Demyx. Darkness surrounded them both for brief moments before they found themselves in Twilight Town yet again.

Despite being early morning, the sun was stuck in its usual position thus casting eternal twilight over the town. The streets were vacant, giving the two Nobodies more than enough peace to work.

"Follow me." Xaldin began to walk, hearing Demyx follow suit. By now, the younger Nobody would usually make some witty remark but now he was being awfully quiet. It didn't bother Xaldin but it did make him wonder if yesterday's exchange caused him to clamp up like this.

Demyx was truly a child.

The main objective was to find a new type of Heartless and that was what the older Nobody would focus his attention on. The two of them walked in silence, as no initial traces appeared. Until…

"What's that?" Demyx opened his mouth for once. It took Xaldin by surprise and his startled tone awoke the older Nobody's curiosity, causing him to turn around. The blonde was pointing towards what appeared liquid, corroding part of some grates close to the Underground Concourse. It looked like it had been dragged out and a strong smell emerged from it as the Nobodies closed in on

"Acid." Xaldin simply said before he, with wary steps, followed the trail. The putrid stench grew stronger, as the two Nobodies ventured deeper underground, causing Demyx to pluck his nose.

"…Are you sure? It smells more like an open grave." He breathed out. "I would not say so if I did not trust my own knowledge." That was a matter of fact. Assumption was the mother of all accidents.

Demyx followed Xaldin without an answer. He tightened his grip around the sitar.

The two of them walked carefully through the tunnel as it suddenly hit them that the light was getting dimmer. The rancid smell became more intense, almost to the point of intolerance. Xaldin made a mental note to try extra hard of removing the stench when this mission was over.

More puddles appeared on their path, having eaten away pipes, grates and even concrete. They were getting close. And blob-like little beings were evidence of this. The creatures, green in color, were many; crawling slowly across the ground. Their single yellow eye stared endlessly into nowhere. They appeared harmless at best, ignoring the two Nobodies while they squirmed on the ground.

"This is the new type of Heartless?" Demyx raised an eyebrow at the sight of the little blob creature as he walked up next to Xaldin. He had to cover his mouth in order to contain a light chuckle. Indeed, the situation had aspects of merriment. The mission would appear to be over quickly.

 _Too quickly._

An unnerving sensation emerged within Xaldin. "Don't let your guard down." He warned Demyx, who could no longer contain his laughter. He clutched his stomach, leaning forwards as sounds of extreme amusement and glee escaped his lips. "Demyx!" Xaldin grew aggravated.

"You gotta be kidding me! _This_ is our target? I can't believe it!" the blonde finally stood up straight.

"Never underestimate the enemy." The older Nobody stared at him with less-than-pleased eyes. He would do just fine without a misplaced joke being fired his way.

"Sure, sure. I bet you can pierce them all with your lances in one swell swoop." Demyx wailed his arms around.

"You thought of them to be so innocuous. Why don't you take care of them?" Xaldin made sure to have his Lindworm lances ready before glancing at Demyx, who shrugged his shoulders before playing a starting tune on his sitar. He had little faith in the younger Nobody but somehow, he still had a theory that Demyx could and surely would achieve more, had he the motivation. But that was about it; he would like to give it no more thought, given who the subject was.

Xaldin watched Demyx take a few steps towards the small blobs. With a swift move, he summoned a horde of small bubbles before a tune on the sitar was played and the bubbles were rocketed towards the small creatures like bullets. The bubbles hit the blobs within a matter of seconds, sending them flying in all directions. Their bodies dissolved into darkness as they hovered in the air after impact. Before long, all of the blobs had been destroyed.

But no hearts were ever released.

 _Something was not right._

"There! You happy now?" Demyx turned to the older Nobody, oblivious to any oddities. As he expected an answer, he failed to notice a large horde of even bigger blobs approaching. Their yellow eyes glowed in the distance, immediately alarming Xaldin.

"Behind you!" he leaped forwards, using the wind to steer his lances towards the incoming danger. Demyx's eyes widened as he hastily turned around. Again, he summoned the bubbles to destroy some of them but this time, his attack was less efficient. But Xaldin's lances speared the rest

"There is something deeper within. These Heartlesses release no hearts! Stop wasting energy on these husks!" He landed on the ground. Side by side, the two Nobodies hurried deeper within the tunnel. The amount of rancid puddles was staggering and so was the smell. By the time, they stopped, the odor resembled a thousand corpses. Demyx was literally gagging, covering the entirety of his lower face.

"Ugh, this is so gross! I feel like puking!" He whined. But that was nothing compared to what they witnessed.

"What in blazes in that?" Xaldin said in complete awe.


	3. Something Less Bitter

Unlike the blobs, the superior creature had many eyes. Many more than Demyx counted. It was gargantuan, resting in the darkest of corners. Several long, arms sprouted out of its green swelling body. The water from the grates had become mushy and black as tar. It truly smelled like an open grave. Or more like a thousand of them. More blobs in several sizes surrounded the presumed main body.

"As I suspected." Xaldin gritted his teeth as Demyx looked at him, completely puzzled. "Wait, what?" but the blonde Nobody received no answer and instead watched Xaldin leap forward, lances flying in all directions. Each one speared several blobs, which dissolved into goo. The main body crossed its arms before unfolding them to release another horde of underlings but this time, they were different. They were still moss-green in color and had the singular eye but this time, they had legs.

It made sense now; this Heartless was actually creating decoys and small replicas of itself in terms of offense. It appeared unable to move, making it a sitting duck in combat yet its main method of

"Whatever it is, it's no match or us!" Surprised by his enthusiastic words, Demyx "Dance, water, dance!" several water clones of the young Nobody emerged from the bubbles that were emitted from his sitar. With Xaldin taking care of the bloblings, Demyx had the chance to attack the main body. His water clones followed suit, gracefully evading the remaining blobs. Whenever one of them would get too close, he summoned a spell to thwart them away. Demyx couldn't remember the last time, he had been so engaged in combat. He felt the adrenaline rushing through his blood.

Demyx soon neared the blob with several of his clones following behind him before they moved upfront to intercept any upcoming attacks. Soon the main body was in close range of his magic as his clones hurried their pace and attacked it head on.

But something unlikely happened. Without notice, the main body's arms flailed in all directions, destroying several clones, Not in a million years had Demyx suspected that. He was inches away from being hit as he gained some distance and landed on the ground.

"Curses!" Xaldin turned his attention to the main body. "We let our guard down!" the older Nobody landed next to Demyx and they both watched the main move in such an erratic manner, they had ever imagined.

"You don't say!" Demyx rolled his eyes hard. Of course this was bound to happen. Xaldin was right when he said that this battle was too easy. But until now, Demyx had paid little attention to detail as he only cared about getting this over with. And now when he had to force more effort out of himself, he could only loudly groan.

Fantastic, not only was Demyx stuck with Xaldin for longer than intended but now he also had to deal with a new enemy. Speaking of which, another wave of blobs soon emerged from the putrid water, their singular yellow eyes glued themselves to the two Nobodies. With incredible speed, they ran towards them.

"It appears that we have underestimated the enemy greatly. Hurry, we have to dispose of it quickly!" A strong gust of wind caused each of the Lindowrm to line up in front of Xaldin.

"Yeah yeah." Demyx sighed. He played few tones on his sitar as two water pillars rose next to the main body of the Heartless, several of its minions perished in the process.

"You would like to go home and slack off, true? Then show your competence and help me bring an end to this monstrosity!"

"All right, if you say so." Demyx leaped forwards, water splashing around him. The energetic melody of the Appegio star summoned a wall of pillars before the Nobody as he walked towards the Heartless. On his path, the blobslings dissolved into darkness. This gave Xaldin the opportunity to stir his lances towards the new Heartless. The battle seemed to come to a close end.

"You can get the thing now, please!" the younger Nobody turned to Xaldin as he created some distance before he suddenly felt something blunt hit his side with such a force that the air was knocked out of his lungs. Time flew past him like lightning as his body was hurled against a wall. Everything suddenly descended into a deep black as a matter of seconds; sounds of the ongoing battle drowned before his ears and the putrid smell of the new Heartless disappeared.

A white light was only present when Demyx opened his eyes. As his vision adjusted themselves to the light, he suddenly realized that he was back in his room of all places. The blond Nobody slowly sat up, blinking and thinking about the latest string of events and what led him to be present here in the first place. Slowly, images of the battle with the new Heartless flashed before his eyes and a sudden feeling of panic soon emerged within him. His eyes darted around in order to make sense of the past happenings until he happened to lay eyes on Xigbar, leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.

"Goodmorning, Princess. Slept well?" The one-eyed Nobody flashed a relaxed smile as he headed towards t

"Huh? What?"

"I gotta hand it to ya. You must have fought really hard out there to get such a nasty bruise."

"A bruise?!" A few moments passed before Demyx quickly lifted the blanket only to notice that he was not wearing his coat. The blonde slowly let the blanket fall on his lap as his cheeks reddened. He had no explanation as to why but the thought of himself being bare and unconscious embarrassed him to no end. But Xigbar was a guy as well so it shouldn't matter, should it? The sudden movements caused him to groan in pain.

"Don't worry. It'll heal up pretty fast." Xigbar shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure." Demyx pulled his knees under his chin, his face still red. But then a sudden thought hit him as he looked at Xigbar and asked. "What about Xaldin?" those were the last words, he expected himself to say. But he did and it even surprised Xigbar who replied with "He's probably reporting to Saïx. And washing himself. You should have seen him, oh boy."

In that very moment the door opened and a familiar presence entered, covered in head to toe with green sludge. An awful stench entered the room as well, causing Xigbar to plug his nose and frown. "Speaking of the devil, eh?"

"The Mother Heartless." Xaldin locked his eyes on Demyx, completely ignore Xigbar in the process. "Aside from what you and I have witnessed, Its arms seems to be quite effective. An example is that it… unfortunately hit you with a surprising amount of power." The older Nobody paused before speaking again.

"The target has been eliminated…." This time, he held a longer pause than before as if he was thinking hard of what to say. Odd, as Demyx knew that Xaldin never ran out of remarks. "And you deserve to rest." He said before facing the doorway as quickly as he entered.

"I'll fill you in when you have recovered." He said with an unusual shift of tone before leaving the room and closing the door. It was faint but just enough for Demyx to notice it. He barely had a chance to respond. He just sat in silence as he let the words of his partner slowly sank in. He had a hard time believing his own conclusion but somehow, he felt that Xaldin perhaps had softened up. But because of the injury?

"That was random. Well, heal up and get your butt down in the Grey Area ASAP, alright?" Xigbar patted Demyx on the shoulder before he left the room with a friendly wave, leaving the younger Nobody all alone. Laying down again, Demyx soon reflected on the latest battle. Somewhat, he found it ironic; he had pushed his willpower in hopes of getting the mission done as fast as possible only to have himself be promptly defeated. Granted, he was slacking off a bit as it was nowhere near his limit. Truly, he had underestimated the enemy.

He pulled the blanket over his head and soon fell into a deep slumber. Of course, he deserved it. And perhaps a couple of days off too.

"The Mother Heartless is a relatively dangerous enemy." Xaldin explained as a long collection of notes flashed over the computer screen. "It can create small decoys from the sludge of its body to keep the enemy distanced from itself." Saïx nodded with much interest as someone like him could display.

"But it happens to be competent in close range combat as well. Even if its flailing looks rather pedestrian and pathetic, it is very strong." Quickly, Xaldin glanced at Demyx before returning to the screen.

"How would you determine the circumstances on encountering it?" Saïx asked.

"Near water. Er, like sewers and stuff." Demyx suddenly said, causing Saïx and Xaldin to look at him with much surprise. "I think it uses the water systems to power. I mean, the sewers were pretty much plugged when we got there."

"Right." Saïx replied dryly before shifting his attention back to Xaldin and the screen. "Very well." He finally nodded as he walked closer to the keyboard.

"You have done a fine job. Xemnas will be most pleased." Without further exchange in words, Xaldin and Demyx left the computer room. In silence, the two Nobodies walked down the hallway with Demyx's eyes locked in the older Nobody's back. Just like in Twilight Town. But this time, he felt something was different.

"I suggest that you train instead of following me around." Xaldin abruptly stopped in his track and turned around, his purple eyes piercing right through Demyx like one of his lances.

"Sure…" The blonde Nobody took a few steps back, while trying to prepare an excuse to relax. And soon he parted ways with Xaldin, right back to his room. His body was still sore so he intended to rest some more. Demyx sat down on the bed before curling himself into a ball. It was an odd position and otherwise not one he would usually lay in but right now he felt like it as his mind began to wander. He was still exhausted but his thoughts kept him awake.


	4. Alternatives

The following days, Xaldin found himself restless. Or rather thoughtful. He had initially believed Demyx to be nothing but a lazy, incompetent cod but during the last mission, Xaldin had been proven wrong and if there is something that he despised, that was being in the wrong. But at times, it was inevitable and Demyx just happened to be involved somehow. And yet that was only half of his worries; he hated to admit it but it irked him somewhat that Demyx had been confined to his room for the most time. After all, Xaldin's schedule was completely dependent on Demyx. The mission had set something within Xaldin and he made it a secondary priority to make sure that the younger Nobody stayed in shape.

But for now, he made sure to put his restless mind at ease. With what, though? He stood in the grey area, deep in thought when he saw the familiar figure of a blonde Nobody passing by. The Grey Area was completely empty aside from himself and now his partner. Demyx looked rather anxious as well, and he had not brought his sitar with him either. It wondered Xaldin was his motives were.

"Demyx." Xaldin said, causing the younger Nobody to shrug. With quick moves, her made his way towards his partner, silent with an averted gaze.

"…How is your wounds?" Xaldin asked, surprised of his own coldness. Even he found it uncharacteristic. Reflecting on his own attitude was something that he never imagined doing.

"Uh, fine. Just fine." An anxious laughter escaped his lips and he rubbed the back of his head. With that one vague answer, a round of silence befell the Grey Area. It was rare that he

"We did pretty good, right?" the younger Nobody said after several obvious hesitations and only now did he look directly at Xaldin.

"... I did not expect you to be that competent. Honestly." His eyes met the green ones before him and he witnessed an awkward smile creep on Demyx's face.

"But I want you to keep that standard from now own."

"Yo, Princess." Xigbar's voice suddenly called from the entrance as he came waving at the pair or more specifically Demyx. His friendly attitude seemed to ignore Xaldin's presence and frankly, he was fine with that. Sure, he had implicitly praised Demyx but it was merely for the sake of having the younger Nobody stepping up his game.

"I got a mission for you." Xigbar's eyes briefly crossed Xaldin's before he averted his attention to Demyx.

"Really? Can't we catch a break?" Demyx pouted. "You really wanna send an injured soldier to the field?"

"It's a simple mission in Twilight Town. Limited combat and all. Sorta your thing, right?"

"Ah? I guess it ain't a problem then."

The conversation was a complete sideshow but Xaldin felt nothing. He did not need friends or companionships but rather an excuse to get out of the Castle. Though a recon mission was less than desirable but if it could make Demyx put some effort in combat, that would suffice. But then a thought suddenly hit him.

"So, when are we going?"

"Not before your wound are healed." Xaldin sternly said, staring Demyx directly into the eyes., The younger Nobody crept back a little, surprised but pleased. He simply nodded in obedience before facing Xigbar.

"About that…" Demyx began, his cheeks flushing a bit. "Since it's recon, I guess I can go. I think."

"Whatever. It's your call." The one-eyed Nobody shrugged his shoulders, frowning a bit when he looked at Xaldin, expecting a final answer.

"Somehow, I have a hard time trusting your words." Xaldin narrowed his eyes, ignoring Xigbar. "But we will go if you feel ready."

The mission was to intercept a couple of Dusks that had gone rouge. It made little sense to Xaldin as Dusks were nothing but empty husks, devoid of consciousness. But regardless a mission was a mission and the target had to be eliminated. Allegedly, the rouge Nobodies lurk in the Station Plaza. As the pair headed to their destination, Xaldin began to think. If he would like to avoid carrying Demyx a second time, it was important that the Nobody was somewhat adapted to combat. Not just in body but soul as well. If they were to remain partners, he felt somewhat responsible for making life easier for himself and put some effort into the creation of a competent partner.

"Why do you fight?" Xaldin gazed upon the unchangeable sky of Twilight Town, when they exited the alleyway. It was a simple question and he had honestly no expectations to a satisfying answer. But he found it an appropriate place to start. In the distance, several Dusks stood huddled together.

"Because the big guys want me to." Demyx checked the strings of his sitar, when he saw the Nobodies. A dark shadow crept over his face and it would appear that unwanted memories of the encounter with the Mother Heartless slowly began to take their toll.

"The big guys?" The older Nobody raised an eyebrow, the Lindworm floating in position as the Dusks seemed to notice them.

"Well, Xemnas and Saïx and who else rules on top of the food chain." Demyx played some tunes on the Arpeggio, bubbles emerging from it. "I have no idea what actually goes on." There was a strong hint of aggravation in his voice.

Xaldin wondered if that included himself. Until now, he had never questioned his position in the Organization. It was true that he was part of its foundation but how much power did he actually possess? He mostly operated alone, only in the presence of the others when meetings were being held and he knew that he numbers were only a title and not an actual rank. And it hit him that he knew very little himself but the thought had never crossed his mind up until now.

The rouges neared in on them with their odd movements, quickly circled the pair. Water pillars erupted from the ground, shooting several of the Dusks into the air. They were given no time to land as the Lindworm speared them all, causing them to dissolve into darkness.

"Maybe if you proved yourself, you would earn more respect." That was too simple an answer and Xaldin himself was not pleased. With a helpful gust, he impaled one surviving Dusk, watching it writhe before it ceased any movement and dissolved into darkness.

"Maybe." Demyx's voice shrank and he suddenly vanished, running down the same alleyway., that they had entered through. Xaldin looked in that direction, wondering if he should shout for him to return.

was about to yell out to his partner when a portal suddenly emerged beside him and Demyx held something in his hands, all happening rather quickly. Demanding an explanation, he crossed his arms.

"What is that?" Xaldin raised an eyebrow as the popsicle was shoved into his face.

"Chocolate ice cream." Demyx revealed little else, looking down a bit. The popsicle shook a bit in his hand as Xaldin took it, looking at it with little intention of actually eating it.

"Why would you give me that?" he said, surprised of how gloomy he sounded.

"Just an idea, I got from someone. A reward for hard work." Demyx was already munching on his.

"I…" The older Nobody began, wondering what to make of this. And how to escape it.

"Hmm?"

"I don't like chocolate." That was a terrible lie. "You can have it." But he handed it back to Demyx, regardless. The younger Nobody accepted it, a little disappointed as he ate the popsicles.

"I'll find something you like, next time." He said, his mouth filled with chocolate. Eventually, the other popsicle began to melt, dripping on the concrete below and Demyx seemed unaware of this, taking his time to savor in the flavor. ¨

"You are melting." Xaldin said matter-of-factly, causing his partner to panic. Demyx quickly shifted his attention and proceeded to more or less stuff his face with both popsicles. It truly was a bizarrely comical scene, that captivated Xaldin to say the least.

"Ouch!" Demyx suddenly exclaimed after having eaten one of the popsicles. He rubbed hand on his forehead and grunted in discomfort.

"Brain freeze…" he whined.

"Of course." Xaldin shrugged his shoulders, turning away to hide the smile on his face. "Children these days." Though Demyx's action of getting ice cream was an unexpected move, it was ultimately entertaining and Xaldin wondered why he even thought that.


	5. Changes

After a couple of missions, Demyx felt like his relationship with Xaldin had softened to some degree. They were far from best buds but at least they could tolerate each other. Not to mention that their battles had been going smoothly and Xaldin rewarded Demyx with some free time once in a while. Therefore it was not a surprise when Xaldin suddenly approached Demyx, asking for a spare match. Demyx suddenly remembered his forced ice cream attempt and held a slight contempt for himself. It was a silly idea that was best left forgotten.

The two Nobodies entered the Hall of Empty Memories. Demyx had always wondered how it would feel once he regained a heart. Would it be just like when he wasn't a member? With all of the experiences and memories he had gathered, he knew that he was a changed person and it was impossible for Demyx to revert back to his innocent former self. Even still, this would mean that he knew how to avoid losing a heart once again and finally be free of this wretched empty feeling. He was sure that Xaldin felt the same way too.

'"Get ready." Xaldin said as he used a gust of wind to adjust his lances, sending chills down Demyx's spine. By the way that he calmly stood and stared at Demyx and his sitar, he looked incredibly menacing and the younger Nobody was glad that this was only a sparring match. The lasted for less than fifteen minutes with Demyx struggling to keep his defenses on par with Xaldin's quick and coordinated attacks. The older Nobody always managed to find a blind spot where he could attack. At last, the match ended with six aimed directly at Demyx's vital parts.

"Your skills are sloppier than I thought. Surprising, considering how you handle yourself in real battle" Xaldin retracted his Lindworm and the lances fell naturally into place behind him.

"I did my best, you know. You're the one, who trains all the time." Demyx did a small damage control, already knowing that no harm had been done.

"You have a good point. Too bad, it casts you in a less than favorable light." A small smirk appeared in the corner of Xaldin's mouth, rare as it was.

"Got me there… No wonder you're ranked third, though."

"You do realize that our rankings have nothing to do with our power levels. Perhaps you have never seen Marluxia in battle."

No, Demyx had yet to do that and he got the feeling that it was for the best. He slumped down against a wall, stretching his body. He was yet to feel tired, though, a fact that even he found odd. Lately, he had found himself full of energy. No doubt it was thanks to Xaldin pushing him to his limit, every time they entered combat even if the enemy were some measly Shadows.

"Hey. Can I ask you something?" For once, it didn't take Demyx much courage pop the question, another subtle change he had noticed whenever he would converse with his partner.

"Hm?"

"What do you think will happen to us when we get our hearts?"

It took Xaldin a while to answer but he finally did so, looking at Demyx. His gaze was cold and piercing as he locked eyes with the younger Nobody.

"I believe that we'll part ways."

Something about the seriousness in the answer made Demyx shook a little, replying with a short "Oh" before silence entered the room. But it made sense; what else was there to do for the Organization when they had retrieved their hearts? Demyx was little more than a pawn in the game that was Xemnas' but he that not everyone here liked each other; he, for one, could not stand Larxene. Although the idea of the Organization didn't sit well with him; it was a life, he had known for so long that he grew accustomed to it and he was pretty sure that the people whom he had known before all of this had likely forgotten about him. So even when he got his heart and was free to mess around, what should he do then?

"What will you be doing?"

Quite clearly, Xaldin had not been thinking of that as he just stared at the younger Nobody with utter surprise before grabbing his chin to think, another unexpected gesture. However, he was soon interrupted when a familiar voice greeted the pair from a platform above the arena of the Hall.

"Hi there, kids. Having fun?" Xigbar greeted the pair with a wide smile, raising his arms with much joy. He leaned against one of the wing-shaped reelings. He locked eyes with Demyx, grinning wider as he did so and a sudden chill seemed to radiate from Xaldin.

"While you were here, playing, Xemnas just announced that things are changing up here."

"What?" The two Nobodies said in unison.

"We'll be changing in partners." Xigbar slowly pointed at Demyx. "That means that you'll be with me."

Demyx smirked faintly, a little unsure of what he should say to this. He shrugged his shoulders, looking at Xaldin. Sure, being with Xigbar was all right but somehow, he felt little less than pleased with the decision. Mostly because it felt too sudden. And too early.

"And uh, you get to be stuck with Flamesilocks." Xigbar turned his attention towards Xaldin, only carrying a fraction of his enthusiasm when announcing the news. A hint of unpleasantness crawled across Xaldin's face and Xigbar seemed to be relishing in that

"Too bad, I suppose." Xaldin retorted in such a dry manner that only he could when he was talking with someone, whom he could care less about.

"As if! I can finally be free from that mood killer of a boy scout, Saïx. Seriously, you'd think that someone jammed a stick up his ass and forgot to pull it out. Besides you and Flamesilocks can spend some quality time together. Just like the good ol' days."

Only a chilling silence responded to Xigbar's joke and it appeared that he realized that it was perhaps not the best time to make sarcastic jokes. Demyx had come to learn that Xaldin had a talent for hiding even a hint of displeasure but right now, he did not feel like doing it or just didn't care about showing Xigbar that the one-eyed Nobody was getting under his skin right now.

"Demyx, we got a mission so don't take too long kissing your ex-partner goodbye."

"What the…? _Xigbar_!" Demyx felt the crimson creep over his face as he glared wildly at Xigbar. The reaction took him aback as he calmed down to reflect just what had prompted him to act like that.

"Jeez. Calm down, Princess. It's not like you'll never see each other again." The one-eyed Nobody was thrilled by the reaction he got,

Xigbar said, shrugging his shoulders before he left the Hall.

"I guess this is it. I'd hate to admit it but it was a…fine time." That was an awful sentence but it was the best, Demyx could come up with as he would like to avoid using the word "good" for now.

"Agreed. You are not such a waste of space as I'd thought you to be." Again, there was that tiny smirk that added a little humanity to Xaldin. The brutal honesty in his comment made a grimace appear on Demyx's face as a mix of flattery and horror. But ultimately, he could not find it within himself to be offended. Sweeping away the raw truth, it was meant to be a compliment, nothing less nothing more. And somewhere within, it felt nice. Like a tingle of warmth.


	6. Walking With Blindfolds

**Hey guys! New update. Sorry for my absence, PC problems.**

Axel was arguably more efficient in combat than Demyx and their coordination was of the finer quality. But the sight of the redhead left an odd taste in Xaldin's mouth and on a purely interpersonal level, there was nothing to come after. Rather obviously, Xaldin had a seething dislike for Axel and pretty much everyone else but that was beside the point. Perhaps the last part was not entirely true as he found himself less... agitated by Demyx but otherwise, he could not care less about comradeship. Even still, he found himself less than pleased about the sudden changes in the Organization.

 _Why was that?_

"Alright. That's it for today." Axel said while retracting his flames from the charred remains of a Heartless. The body soon faded into darkness. He got no response from Xaldin, something he was already used to at this point, but even if he was familiar with this cold treatment, it still seemed to bother him regardless.

"Man, I wonder how Demyx survived with being with such a bore."

Xaldin frowned, unusual for someone like himself. He was well aware of his normal expression being unfriendly but Axel's words touched a nerve and he could feel its effect by his already foul mood souring.

"Who said he couldn't." his answer earned a surprised look for Axel. _Good_ , maybe it would shut him up for now at least. As much as Xaldin would love to savor in this moment, he had better things to do that have a battle of wits with someone he'd rather not be around at all. The older Nobody opened a portal that led them to the Grey Area, not bothering to acknowledge a very baffled Axel. Once they saw their destination, they parted ways soon after with Axel going to hang out with Roxas, not to ever speak again until Saïx would need them once more.

Just like Xaldin preferred it.

So why this odd sensation? Why did it bother him that he did not have Demyx to awkwardly attempt to be friendly? Was it just due to Xaldin being paired with such a nuisance as Axel?

"Impressive." Saïx complimented as he looked over the report. He made way for Xaldin before the other Nobody could get away. "Xemnas will be most pleased."

"The data can be used to achieve our goals a little faster?"

"So, I believe."

That was all Xaldin needed to hear. He made a mental note of checking the data later, once he had cheered himself up some more. It was odd to him to be this disorganized with his lack of feeling. There was something sad about the Nobodies, who tricked themselves into believing that they had feelings and were empty faceless masks disguised as a personality.

Training was important but one could only exercise so much before getting tired, therefore, Xaldin often found the library to be a good timewaster. He may have lacked a heart but he still had this body to take care of.

The library was dark, secluded and quiet. Free from the meddling of the less-desirable. The only other person present Zexion, another presence Xaldin cared nothing about. He wasn't unpleasant like Axel or infuriatingly clueless like Roxas. He was quiet mostly kept to himself, as Xaldin did, minus his very close relationship to Lexaeus. Larxene, one of the noisiest nuisances had spread some wicked rumors but Xaldin never cared for such pointlessness.

Xaldin headed towards the back where he knew that he would be able to disconnect from this world and resurface once more. Once he felt like it. The library had a vast collection of books, imported from the various worlds. Lately, he had found himself deeply engrossed in a story about a king with unlimited power, handed to him by the Gods.

What was it called again?

He had only read through three pages before a faint noise suddenly caught his ears. The sound of… guitar strings. Odd, was it as he had never been able to hear anything quite like that in here before, let alone seen that particular Nobody enter the library. Although Xaldin grew curious, he continued to read on until the tune of a familiar melody suddenly hit his ears. Sudden flashbacks of the encounter with the Mother Heartless flickered before his eyes and it was now impossible to get any reading done.

But on the other hand, it wouldn't hurt to see how Demyx was doing, in a retrospective of what happened. Sighing over his own strange behavior, Xaldin rose from the table. He kept the book firmly in his hand as he followed the tone of the sitar, not strange as it got louder and louder with each step.

"Demyx." The older Nobody said, his voice low with that trademarked coldness. Demyx was seated in one of the library's lounge chairs. Lo and behold, the sitar was placed in his hands, coherent melodies coming from its strings.

"Whoa! Holy crap, Xaldin!" Demyx almost dropped his sitar as he tried to rise from his slouching position, only to stall and sit down immediately. A pained look crept over his face.

I…" the blonde trailed off, trying to regain his composure. "Sorry, I was probably too loud." He let out an awkward laugh, followed by an unconvincing sigh. Careful with his movements, he leaned forward a bit to place the sitar next to the chair.

Xaldin could have walked away. And he most likely would, had Xemnas never decided to reconstruct the entire structure of Organization XIII. But something compelled him to stay. In all fairness, he was responsible for Demyx getting hurt.

"You shouldn't do such preposterous things in a library of all places." Xaldin sat down, much to the surprise of Demyx. The blonde eyed the older Nobody, remaining silent. He pulled his knees underneath his chin, curling into a ball.

"Well, I was told that this place would be perfect for practice," Demyx mumbled from his position, although Xaldin could perfectly hear him. But that didn't erase the fact that what he just said was beyond ridiculous.

"Absolute rubbish. Who in blazes told you that?" The older Nobody raised an eyebrow.

"Er, Axel did."

"…Of course. Why am I not surprised?" Xaldin sighed, leaning back in the chair to continue the book that he was reading. A moment of peaceful silence entered the library as Xaldin read page after page. But he could not shake off the unpleasantness of being stared at. He was used to it, although it always irked him. His antisocial nature longed for solitude where no prying eyes were present to judge his every move. Even when he had a heart, he was still often by himself and he preferred it that way.

"…How are your wounds?" he asked after a while, closing his book. There was no point in reading when Demyx would keep staring at him like this.

"Eh?" The blonde looked up, his eyes wide with surprise before he buried his face again, his ears crimson red. "Uhm, about that…" He took a deep breath before speaking again, a little nervous it seemed. "I mean, aside from that nasty bruise, I also happened to break a couple of ribs. It kinda hinders work for me."

"You did?" Now it was Xaldin's turn to be surprised. His tone of speaking made the younger Nobody continue his explanation. "Yeah, you properly didn't notice but I used my water to stabilize myself. But it's tiring."

"And Xigbar?" Xaldin asked.

"He's doing missions on his own. I can't go because of this anymore. "

There was no sadistic pleasure in hearing that as Xaldin knew that Xigbar had no particular problem with work. On the other hand, he was rather surprised by Demyx's lack of enthusiasm over his freedom. For someone infamous for slacking around, he sure didn't seem remotely happy when he finally had a proper excuse to do nothing. A deep part of Xaldin was somewhat pleased by this; at least his demanding work hadn't been for granted.

"Ugh, I'd hate to admit but doing missions was, you know, it was, uhm…" Demyx mumbled some more, burying his face some more. His ears were still red, most likely from embarrassment. What an odd reaction for a being without actual feeling. In actuality, there was little point by acting flustered so Xaldin pressed on, not wanting to dilly-dally around like this.

"What?" he said, serious in tone. Demyx tightened his grip, looking like he wanted to shrink in his seat. "I hate it when you look at me like that…Ugh."

Not taking no for an answer, Xaldin narrowed his eyes. He was well aware what effect, his piercing gaze had on Demyx. It was not like him to dillydally with such mundane things but the same part of him that had convinced him to stay now urged him to keep on pressuring the issue for answers. "What is it?"

"…it was fun, ok?"

'Fun' was the last word that he had expected to hear. Surprised, he simply sat and stared at Demyx, trying to comprehend what he had just heard.

Xaldin hated to voice his displeasure of not being paired with Demyx anymore as it would only hurt his pride. On the other hand, he was not too sure how he felt about letting the other Nobody in the dark lie this.

"Oh." He said dryly, not sure of what to say otherwise. How could he when someone had just told him that they enjoyed his company, let alone be it from someone as unlikely as Demyx. He felt like she should say something more, however.

"But you know, it's just me being silly. I mean, we don't have feeling and all hehe…" Demyx said, topping it off with a deep sigh. He shrugged his shoulders before trying his way off the chair. Now that he had mentioned it, it did now become apparent that he was suffering from his wounds.

"You should take better care if yourself," Xaldin said, continuing to keep an eye on the younger Nobody. The part of him that didn't want to admit any kind of tolerance towards Demyx could easily convince him to not particularly care for the injured one or write off his lack of care as a way to escape work but a voice kept telling him to think otherwise.

"Don't worry. I'll figure it out."

Of course, Xaldin didn't worry. He was merely showing an uncharacteristic amount of concern.

Before him lay a map over a large white castle, surrounded by several files. One, in particular, caught his interest. The picture of a hideous beast, once human, lay on the top- Next to it, was a drawing of a rose sealed encased in glass. To convert the beast into a Heartless would be his next assignment when he wasn't running other worlds dry with Axel, which was fine by him. It gave him something to do.

A perfect distraction to get his mind on other things than a certain someone.

"You should be mindful of a certain… problem." Saïx said, taking Xaldin out of his thoughts. Waiting patiently for attention, the blue-haired Nobody summoned a small black hole, that began to form an image. The vision of a beautiful brunette now stood before Xaldin. In her arms were multiple books, one of which he recognized.

"She is currently living in the castle with the beast, trying to make him a better person. In other words, trying to make him human and we do not want that."

"I see." Was Xaldin's short response. Although he had no issue with having to deal with one pesky girl, the issue was rather more a question of time. He needed to be careful and wary of his time if he wanted to succeed.

"Considering your schedule, I do wonder if you can handle it," Saïx spoke lowly, seemingly deep in thought. The image of the girl dissolved into thin air as he gathered the files.

"What makes you say such things?" Xaldin scoffed, his voice calm as always. He meant no threat towards Saïx, knowing full well how the blue-haired Nobody was essentially second in command of the organization. Not to mention that he was one of the stronger members, even stronger than Xaldin… "Of course, I can."

Saïx seemed pleased with the answer as he placed the stack of files on the wide table. "And your partner?" He asked, his yellow piercing gaze lacking any sort of emotion, false or otherwise. But he had asked a question, which demanded answers and Xaldin knew full well what he was about to say.

"…I don't intend to drag him along." Of course not. Xaldin was confident in his abilities and the less time, he had to spend with Axel, the better. Saïx gave an affirmative nod before handing him the files. "I thought so. In case, they should get lost, we do have them in the archives as well, but if I remember correctly, you were always this old-fashioned."

Perhaps, who knew? It had been ages since Xaldin had referred to himself as Dilan and it felt even longer since he actually felt alive. No matter how much he breathed, slept, ate, he was still a walking corpse; a former shadow of himself. A being with no point in existing until he found a heart. Rejected by the light and shunned by the dark, Nobodies lived in between and at the same time not.

He needed to get a heart soon, to gain control over the life that he had been given once more.

Grabbing the folder on his way, he promptly left the room without further chit-chat. It had become a habit of his as of late, given his refusal to socialize with anyone. But it was quite fine; he didn't need such things as companions to make him feel better about himself. It was already enough that he was beginning to grow slightly attached to Demyx, a realization that he absolutely loathed. But did he really hate the feeling?

During his time as a human, he had no one in his life that he was close enough to call friends and he liked it that way. Xaldin had always kept people relatively distant enough for him. Ironic that now when, he had lost his heart, he now found himself almost fond of another person's company.

"Hey! Grumpy!" A familiar voice called him out of his thoughts. The broad-shouldered Nobody blinked a couple of times as he returned to reality. He gave an unresponsive grunt as he laid eyes on Xigbar, grinning smugly at him.

"Seen the princess lately?"

A confused scowl prompted Xigbar to elaborate. "Demyx, I can't find him anywhere."

"How in blazes should I know? He is _your_ partner, ergo your responsibility." Xaldin said, rolling his eyes. He was sure that he sounded more grim than usual but it did not bother him one bit, considering who he was dealing with. Speaking of Demyx however… he had no idea where.

"Jeez. Calm down, will you? Anyways, if you see him, give him this." Xigbar said as he handed a thick file to Xaldin, who only narrowed his eyes at it. What was this, some kind of postal service? "Why?"

"Because," Xigbar suddenly lowered the pitch of his voice in an attempt to mock Xaldin. "he prefers your company over mine."

"What?"

"He may not know but it's pretty obvious." A seething bitterness rooted deep within Xigbar's voice as he spoke. "You'll understand when you see him."

That was the bare minimum of being an explanation and Xaldin didn't feel enlightened at all. Thankfully, Xigbar's apparent bitterness has saved Xaldin from a moment of awkward surprise he had otherwise would have found himself at a loss for words.

As he began to try and comprehend the little piece of news, he now found himself on the path to Demyx's room. He mentally prepared himself for a brief conversation and nothing more. The last thing he wanted, was to show any more hints of weakness.

He took a deep breath as he knocked on the door.


	7. Stranger Tides

**A/N: So it has been a while since I've updated last and for that, I apologize. Thing is, that I have been really busy and stuff. I moved out of the house; I'm trying to adjust myself to living alone although I don't find that particularly hard. That said, family business has been going through the roof, leaving me busy with little time on my hands.**

"Xaldin," Demyx called out, stopping the older Nobody in his tracks. His heart skipped a beat when Xaldin turned to him, staring him down with those cold eyes of his. It took Demyx a while to fully muster up the courage to voice his request.

"Let me train with you." He finally said, trying to feel as confident as he had spoken. Instead, his attempts were suddenly crushed by the displeased look on Xaldin's face.

"What? Why?" The older Nobody said, unimpressed.

"Because I need to get stronger,"

"…And your injuries?"

That was a good question. It had been a week or so since they had met in the library and although Demyx had slowly but sure healed, he was still in no condition to do anything of substance, let alone combat. These past days, he had engaged in recon missions and nothing else, much to the displeasure of none other than himself. It was odd; he should be happy to finally go and relax without having to struggle for an excuse to do so but instead, he was frustrated at himself for being such a burden. This was perhaps the worst that he had felt since he lost his heart.

"…I'll handle it." The blonde assured with as much confidence as he could gather.

The look on Xaldin's face did not calm Demyx one bit but he let out a relieved sigh as Xaldin nodded affirmatively. Soon the older Nobody turned his back to the blonde, who eagerly followed as he tried to ignore the stinging pain in his wound.

In silence, the duo walked through the corridors of the Castle That Never Was with Demyx feeling surprised at how little he had actually bothered to explore the castle since he got here. When he arrived at the castle, he had only been shown the essential areas and rooms, courtesy of Zexion.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally reached a courtyard with the Kingdom Hearts looming over it with its light being cast. But there was little time to gaze after the key to their existence as Xaldin summoned three of his lances, positioning himself for battle.

"Just because this is training, it does not mean that I will go easy on you. If you wish to be strong, you must first learn how to endure."

"All right then," Demyx said with an insecure smile, feeling a sense of dread slowly settling within him. He grabbed his sitar, trying a few strings or two to make sure that he was prepared. It may just be training but it was still a battle regardless and he didn't need Xaldin to tell him that.

Without warning, Xaldin sent two lances directly at him but Demyx managed to thwart the attack with a beam of water. However, it would seem that Xaldin had anticipated this move and quickly moved past the water with the third lance pointed directly at the blonde Nobody. Realizing how he had left himself open, Demyx quickly ducked, narrowly escaping the blade of the lance.

Before he could properly adjust himself, Xaldin used the wind to knock him off his feet and he stumbled backward before landing on his back with a hard thud. The impact made him wince with pain, causing him to lay on the ground a bit to collect himself. Life would certainly have been much easier if losing one's heart also meant losing one's sense of pain.

"You focus too much protecting yourself. A good defense is only as good as its offense."

"You focus too much on slicing me in half." Demyx breathed out before he attempted to rise up again, albeit with great difficulty. By using his sitar, he managed to support himself before attempting to get up and standing on his own two feet. "You're-too-too fast."

A moment of silence befell the courtyard and Demyx found himself staring after Kingdom Hearts once more. He hoped that Xaldin was merciful enough to not try and impale him while he was distracted although he felt that it would not be the case. As cold as the older Nobody was, there was a softer side of him that even Demyx found hard to believe really existed.

"…Are you sure that you are properly capable of this?" Xaldin broke the silence, albeit reluctantly. This side of him had begun to emerge more often as of late and honestly, it left a giddy feeling within Demyx and he found it hard to ignore the fuzzy warmth.

"Don't worry about me. I may be lazy but I can handle more than this." Demyx lied with a half-hearted smile. In actuality, he was exhausted enough to simply lay on the ground and rest right then and there. If he had any wish to keep his injury a secret, he failed rather miserably.

"I'm not worried about you." Xaldin scoffed nonchalantly.

"O-oh"

Much to Demyx's surprise, Xaldin took one of his lances and dismissed it, leaving him armed with just two. So much for "not going easy". The blonde Nobody stood and watched his opponent, not sure what to expect anymore. This seemed to aggravate Xaldin somewhat as he suddenly halted the fight, letting his lances rest in the wind.

"What?" He grunted irritably.

"I thought you were going to treat this like every other battle" Demyx responded as a matter of fact. He let his sitar rest in his arm while Xaldin prepared himself for battle once more

"…I can do well with just two lances." The older Nobody assured, seemingly in an attempt to convince himself rather than Demyx.

"That didn't answer my question though." The blonde pointed out, much to his ally's dismay. Xaldin sighed, followed by a frustrated shake of his head.

"It wasn't a question."

"You know, you really are inconsistent in the way that you say something and then do something completely different. Err, in a way, it's endearing."

The look on Xaldin's face as he struggled for words was priceless. His eyes grew wide with disbelief and it almost made Demyx smile until the moment was interrupted by a frustrated Xaldin.

"Blazes! I did not come here for pointless chit-chat!"

And thus, the battle was on once more, this time more intense than before. However, Xaldin restrained himself greatly although one would not have noticed this first hand. Yet, Demyx managed to hold his own rather well until the pain became agonizingly overwhelming and he found himself blacking out after having summoned bodies of water after Xaldin.

When Demyx regained consciousness, he found himself lying in his bed. Slowly, he sat up, trying to collect his thoughts of the past happenings. A terrible aching on the skin of his stomach made it clear for him. Looking around, he found Xaldin standing over his desk, looking at a few disorganized papers.

Those were the scribbles of music notes. He hadn't been looking at them since being on standby. It made him curious to whether or not Xaldin could actually read chords and hear a melody forming. However, Demyx let his speculations slide and instead addressed the obvious.

"Wha-what happened?"

"You collapsed. Why did you not say that you weren't fully healed?" Xaldin turned to look at him with a rather stern look on his face.

"I don't know."

"Well, do not do that again." Xaldin looked directly at him, more sternly than his usual level of frowning.

"...Ok, ok! I'm sorry." Demyx apologized and Xaldin seemed to soften up a bit.

Demyx was not too sure about what he should think of the older Nobody's recent behavior. On one hand, his mannerisms remained unchanged and he was as aloof as always but on the other hand, he had begun to treat Demyx like a child as of late. It was endearing but also confusing. Not to mention how little sense it made, considering that neither of them had a heart.

"Xaldin…" Demyx paused, mustering the courage to continue. "Were you always like this even before you lost your heart?"

"So, I have been told. I have no opinion on the matter and I doubt that I will become my old self once my heart is regained."

The answer, for as vague as it was, intrigued Demyx and he felt compelled to dig deeper, seeing how Xaldin had answered with any sort of protest.

"Why is that?"

Without responding right away, Xaldin paused as he stared out the small window. The view wasn't anything to marvel at as it was located at a less-than-flattering side of the castle, thus not giving Demyx a view of Kingdom Hearts.

"People… and Nobodies change whether they wish to or not. It's inevitable. It happened to me and I'm certain that it happened to you." He finally said, deep in thought.

That was all too true; even Demyx could feel how he changed when he eventually lost his heart. He remembered everything about his old self but at the same time, that person was a complete opposite of his current self. Like, the two of them were two different people altogether. Right now, he was a lazy slacker who'd rather slouch around all day than do any work, even though that image was now forming into someone who was willing to make others proud. He never cared for any of this, until now that was.

Did he care at all though? Why did this thought enter his mind and continuously haunt him? It wasn't just his thoughts, it was this strange warmth that had emerged not too long ago. It was like a small spark being ignited deep inside his chest. It was subtle but its effects were impactful beyond wording.

It kept him awake at night and it scared him. Something told him that it was for the best if he kept quiet about it although it seemed like it would be easier said than done. He wondered if Xaldin could feel it as well.

Or was it only Demyx going mad?


End file.
